__Morgana__

This is the first loose tea I’ve tried since I started my tea adventure, and I’m thoroughly amazed at how much of a difference I’m seeing between this and just about anything else I’ve been drinking these past weeks, even the whole leaf bagged teas. And I realize it’s pretty basic as oolongs go, so I can only imagine what’s in store when I graduate to higher grades.

This is the first in the Introduction to Oolong (Oolongs 101?) sampler and I’ve been enjoying it yesterday and today. I would not have thought it could add so much to the experience to examine dry leaves prior to steeping, but it does. These are a dark, chocolatey brown, with flecks of lighter brown. They have a warm, toasty aroma. The liquor is a rich, dark amber/burnt orange. It smells very similar to the dry leaves, and the flavor is in turn very true to the aroma, warm and toasty, with a very subtle note I can’t put my finger on — very slightly floral, perhaps? The aftertaste is slightly sweet and pleasant. I used two teaspoons rather than one after the first try and preferred it stronger. I did not notice much change over multiple steepings (I lengthened the steeping time from 3 minutes to 4 after the first, and to five on the last).

I was surprised — this one actually made me smile. It’s the first darjeeling I’ve tasted since I started my tea adventure and I suspect there is much better to be had, but it’s enough to make me really look forward to venturing further into finer darjeeling offerings. The liquor is not light as darjeeling’s is usually described; but it’s pretty, a medium to dark brownish-red. It smells woody, almost coffee-like, with a hint of mossy greenness. Foresty. There’s a richness and complexity to the taste that I wasn’t expecting, especially in the finish where I taste butter, sweet cream, nuts (almonds, I think, maybe a little hazelnut?). I tried it at the recommended 5 minutes steep time, but found it a tad bitter. Much better at 3 minutes.

The perfumey note of the aroma hit me immediately, so much so that I was tempted to dab a bit on my wrists. :-) After a minute or two it settled down to a gentler citrus. Initially, I steeped for 5 minutes but the second time around after reading the comments here I limited it to 3. Three is definitely better, and I’m wondering if I should take it down from there a bit.

My experience with Earl Grey in the past has been limited to Twinings and Bigelow, and this one doesn’t seem significantly better than I remember those being. I’m detecting a twinge of the bitterness others have mentioned in the drinking, but for me it is mellowing to a pleasant, lingering citrusy finish where the underlying tea taste predominates. There’s even a bit of sweetness, right at the tip of my tongue. I’m looking forward to comparing it to other Earl Greys.

I am far from a chai expert, but this seems to have a well-blended flavor if you’re in the mood for something spicy. I can smell the ginger, cinnamon and cloves primarily, but none of these predominates in the taste. There’s a peppery afterburn, but the pepper flavor in this whole leaf bag version isn’t as strong as that in the decaf bagged version I tried (not whole leaf), which borders on harsh. I started my morning with this one today, and I’m moved to try another cup and see what else I can get out of this one on a second tasting.

And here’s an update after the second tasting (different bags, not a resteep)… with the after effect of the original cup still on my tongue, the new cup is very different. Even more balanced, and I can taste the mildness of the tea. The spices are more around the edges this time. Very interesting contrast to the first spicy attack and worth an additional couple of rating points.

This was what got me interested in giving tea another shot after a number of failed attempts. Now that I’m branching out it isn’t quite as stellar as my first impression, but I’m still enjoying it. The vanilla is very present in the aroma, but not so much in the taste. Still, the taste is pleasant — cinnamony, sweet, full. I can’t explain it, but to me it tastes “red.”

Greenish-golden clear liquor; sweet, vaguely grassy aroma; mild, smooth, ever so slightly pungent flavor without being bitter; slightly sweet, vegetal finish. I expected to like this better than the Green Tips from Tazo, but I actually liked the Tazo better. In any case, both are a significant improvement on my first encounter with bagged greens (though that was probably more my fault than the tea’s)….

I tried this one several different ways and by far the most successful was (believe it or not) steeping for 15 minutes. The flavors blended best after this amount of time, so that neither the apricot nor the vanilla dominated, and the tea was present, albeit as a backdrop. It has a gentle aroma and flavor. The apricot/vanilla lingers for quite a while and changes over time, first becoming quite sugary, then frutier, then sugary again.

I’ve been trying to like this one, as I like all the flavors in it individually. So it stands to reason I’d like the combination, no? Though it has grown on me over time (and with better water and better steeping rigor), I generally find the ginger spice overpowering and though I can smell the pear, I can’t taste it. I can’t really taste the green tea either, except very lightly in the finish. But the little bite at the tip of my tongue from the ginger spice is kind of interesting…

This is a green tea, so I prepared it as such, with lower water temp and less steeping time. It isn’t the best I’ve ever had, but my experience was not as negative as that of other reviewers. Liquor color was a gentle, light orange/green. Flavor was sweet, very slightly vegetal, with an orange finish.